Jean Todt has admitted he considered banning Lewis Hamilton for six races after the McLaren driver’s racial joke two weeks ago in Monaco.<\/p>\n
Enraged at having yet more penalties imposed by the stewards during the race weekend, Briton Hamilton – the 2008 world champion – joked that “Maybe it’s because I’m black”.<\/p>\n
Fearing a disrepute charge, the 26-year-old returned to the street circuit late on Sunday to apologise to the FIA, and made a further apology in writing.<\/p>\n
“Lewis wrote to me and I wrote to him,” FIA president Todt told British newspapers including the Guardian.<\/p>\n
“I did not advertise it.\u00a0 It’s between him and the FIA.\u00a0 I could have asked our judicial court to address the problem.\u00a0 We never officially opened the case.<\/p>\n
“Maybe it would have been a better decision to put him to the court.\u00a0 To ban him for six grands prix.\u00a0 But he wrote to me and I wrote to him and the thing is over,” added the Frenchman.<\/p>\n
He showed the correspondence to selected reporters earlier this week, and it demonstrated that Todt rebuked Hamilton in his letter but insisted the matter is closed.<\/p>\n
“I am trying to maintain a good harmony amongst everybody,” Todt is quoted by the Telegraph.\u00a0 “I have tried to avoid controversy.\u00a0 I could have leaked the letter but it’s between him and the FIA.<\/p>\n
“(In Monaco) my office was next to the stewards.\u00a0 Every time I went to see them I avoided making any comment.\u00a0 For me what Lewis said was unacceptable but I didn’t want to overreact.”<\/p>\n
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